Improvement in railway-frogs and rail-couplings



JOHN W. CLOSE.

improvement in Railway-Frogs and Rail-Couplings.

Patented May 2, .1871.

JOHN CLOSE, OF BUFFALO, NEW' YORK.-

VIMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY-FROGS AND RAIL-COUPLINGS.

Specification 'forming part of Letters Patent No. l 14,409, dated May 2, 1871.

To all whonm it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. CLOSE, of' the city of' Buffalo, in the county of' Erie and State of' New York, have invented certain Improvements in Railroad-Frogs and Rail-Coupling, of which the following is aspecification:

My improvements relate to the means for securing in place railroad-frogs and the rails which connect therewith, consisting of a plan view, showing some of the parts removed. Fig. III is a cross-section on line w w, Fig. I. Fig IV is a similar section on line a' a2, Fig. I. Fig. V is a section on line y y,

Fig. I. Fig. VI is a cross-section on line z z,

Fig. I. Fig. VII is a plan View ofthe wedgeplate.

Like letters designate like parts in each of the figures.

A A are the converging rails of a railroad frog. B B are the wings thereof. O is the point formed by the junction of thev rails D D, and fttingbetween the wings, so as to form a connection with the rails B B. E is a bed-plate of' wrought-iron, of nearly 4the length of the wing-rails, arranged under the latter and the point. Its edges e e are swayed or bent up, so as to overlap and inclose the outer edges of the bases of the wingrails B B. The' overlapping lianges e e may I be made to inclose the exterior side ofthe webs of said rails,'to which they may be fastened by screw-bolts, if this construction is preferred. Y

The contiguous edges ot the base of the point C and the bases of the Vwing-rails B B are provided with rectangular notches g g, through which pass bolts g g', which pene-l trate the bedplate E and are fastened on the under side of vthe latter by a key, or Vequivalent, as clearly represented in Fig. V..

F is a wedge or'stay plate, introduced between the wing-rails and resting on the bases thereof and on the base c of the point C of the frog. Thelatter. fits in a notch, f, formed in the adjacent edge of said wedge-plate. The bed-plate E and the wedge-plate F are secured together by a bolt, f', passing through both,-and locked by a key or screwnut, or by any other suitable means. L

The operation of this part of my'improvements is as follows: The base-plate E connects, by means of its overlapping edges e e, thev wing-rails B B, and prevents separation of' saidl rails, and formsv at`tl1e saine time a support for ,the point O of the frog. The combination of the wedge-plate F with the base-plate E serves to keep the wing-rails at the proper distance apart, and to secure the point C against lateral and vertical displacel ment. The bolts g g', by fitting in the contiguous lnotches of the base of the point O, `and the bases of the wing-rails securely7 hold the same against longitudinal displacement, and, by their being fastened to the bed-plate E,'prevent relative vertical displacement of' theparts.

H 'represents my improved coupling and chair for double rails. It also consists of a plate, J, of wroughtiron, which extends under the ends of the'four rails D D D D, with the edges j j of the plate turned up, so as to overlap the outer bases and webs of the rails, in the V'manner and as clearly represented. Fish-plates k 7c are applied to theinner sides ot' the webs, opposite these upturned edges J J- duced between these fish-plates, filling the space between them and pressingthem against the webs of the rails. Fastening-bolts n a pass through the flanges j j, webs, and fishplates, and through these Wedge blocks, or in a groove or channel, n', formed in their upper side, and secure the whole together. lf desired, the wedge block N may be omitted and the fish-plates k 7c fastened to the rails and outer flanges by bolts,as in any ordinary fish-joints. This device firmly holds the ends of the rails abutting against displacement in either direction, and7 secures both rails in their proper relative position from each other. It can be applied to a joint intermediate the ties, as no base support is required therefor. w

I represents a coupling and chair, which may be used for single rails. It consists of a plate of wrought-iron arranged under the Wedge blocks or stays N N are introabutting ends of therails B, With its edges i i swaged or bent up, so as to overlap the bases and webs of the rails on both sides. Bolts t" i pass through the edges i i and the Webs of the rails, securing the parts together as represented. This joint is also adapted for intermediate joints, since no base support is necessary.V y

What I claim isl. The arrangement of the bolts g g with the notches g g, point C, rails B B, and baseplate E, as hereinbefore set forth.

2. The Wedge-plate F and bolt f', arranged with the rails B B, point C, and base-plate E, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. The combination and arrangement, mWith the rails D D D' D', ofthe wrought-iron baseplate J, with overlapping vedges jj, enilfshplates k k, secured by bolts, substantially as hereinbefore set forth. l

4. The combination and arrangement with the mils D D D D', base-plate J, flanges jj, and fish-plates k 7c, of the Wedge-blocks N N, and bolts 'n u, as hereinbefore set forth.

J. W. CLOSE. Witnesses:

EDWARD 'WILHELM JNO. J. BONNEP... 

